Every holiday season droves of people flock to the Dyker Heights neighborhood to catch a glimpse of the gorgeous and over-the-top Christmas light displays that residents put on annually.
With every year the event becomes more and more popular, and this year they’re speaking out about the madness in advance. Councilman Justin Brannan is on a mission to rid the area of street vendors during the already chaotic holiday months. In a post made on his Facebook page, Brannan mentions that “while homeowners may be happy to welcome legions of tourists to the neighborhood once a year, they are not interested in overflowing garbage cans, litter all over the street, and exhaust fumes from an ice cream truck idling outside their homes for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
As it is, the neighborhood has become so popular that tour buses now flood the area bringing even more visitors with them. According to the New York Post, Councilman Brannan will be introducing a bill at today’s meeting (Wednesday, August 14) “that would prohibit food trucks and other street vendors from parking and operating in the heart of Dyker Heights, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.” This would only apply to the area between 81st Street and 86th Street, and from 10th Avenue and 13th Avenue. Those caught in violation of the new legislation will be fined between $250 and $1,000.
Each year the neighborhood welcomes well over 100,000 visitors during the holiday season, and the number continues to grow as it becomes increasingly more popular.
featured image source: Dyker Heights Christmas Lights / Facebook